Metropark Gets New Executive
Metropark, a growing boutique-style specialty-store chain, has a new general merchandise manager. On Feb. 8, 20-year veteran Renee Bell was named to the position, according to Lawrence Tanenbaum, president of the City of Industry, Calif.–based company.
From 2003 to 2004, Bell was the general merchandise manager at Bebe Stores Inc., where she was responsible for merchandising and private-label development. She also worked as the vice president of merchandising for young women’s clothing retailer Charlotte Russe Holding Inc. from 1997 to 2003.
Bell will report to Orv Madden, chairman and chief executive of Metropark and a founder of Hot Topic Inc., also based in City of Industry.
In a prepared statement, Madden said that Bell will be instrumental in honing Metropark’s retail mix as the company builds new stores.
Metropark plans to open a store at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., this spring. The company also will open stores at the Irvine Spectrum shopping center in Irvine, Calif., and The Galleria at Tyler in Riverside, Calif., in late summer, according to Tanenbaum.
Metropark opened its first store on Oct. 2, 2004, in the Glendale Galleria shopping center. Later it opened stores in The Oaks in Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Oakridge Mall in San Jose, Calif.; and Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara, Calif.
Metropark hopes to find retail success by bringing boutique-style stores to suburban malls. The stores carry hip labels such as Howe Denim, based in Huntington Beach, Calif.; Triple Five Soul, based in New York; and Obey Clothing, based in Santa Ana, Calif. —Andrew Asch
